Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-18
TOBACCO "a NECESSITY.
Its CoB..nptIon ~ Anerle.ns Eaorn

TOBACCO "A NECESSITY.
Its Consamption ~ Americans Eaornous. #
Washington Corr. New York Times.
Whether tobacco is a luxury or q
necessity in our daily economy is q
disputed question, but Judging from
the quantity annually consumed it
would seem that tobacco is very gen
orally used by the people of the Unit.
ed States, and that it must be a ne
eessity to no inconsiderable portion
of them. Those who have not anal
lied the figures collected by the inter
nal revenue department. have no con-
ception of the extent to which tobacco
is used in this country. Tea is classi-
6ed as one ofthe daily necessities Of life
and enters into very general use, yet
compared with the annual consump-
ton of tea that oftobbacco presents a
very remarkable contrast. The i'm
portation of tea into the United
States during the fiscal year Ell ded
June 80, 1885, was SO,399, ,S61
pounds, the appraised value of which
was $16, 100000. Assuming that
two-thirds of the 6O,OOO,OOO OF peo-
pie of the United States are adults
and consumers of tea, the per capita
consumption would be about two
pounds and the per capita expendi-
ture of money on this account about
forty cents.
. Compare these figures with those
showing the annual consumption OF
tobacco. During the last fiscal year
The quantity ofmanufactured tobacco
upon which tax was paid was
1876, 1896 1913 pounds, and as
tax is not paid until
the tobacco is to be withdrawn from
bond for the consumption those fig.
ures may be assumed to represent the
quantity actually used. Snuff and ci-
gars are not included in these figures,
which are confined to manufactured
tobacco prepared in plug and pack
ages for chewing and smoking. Assum.
ing that the same proportion OF the
people use tobacco that use tea, it
will be found that the per capita con.
sumption of this article is three and
one-half pounds of tobacco against
two pounds of tea. The amount OF
tax paid on manufactured tobacco
last year was$l4, S35, ,O95, a sum near
ly equal to the aggregate value OF all
the tea during that period.
The figures showing the number OF
cigars annually consumed are equally
interesting. Cigars upon which
tax was paid last year foot
up 3.51O, ,S98,498. The avearge length
of cigars is four inches. If the cigars
upon which tax was paid last year were
laid singly in arrow they would extend
around the earth nine times. Laid in
a. straight line they would extend
22l, ,G48 miles. Distributed equally
among the entire population OF the
Uuited States each person would re-
ceive 58 1-2 cigars. If it be assumed
that one-half of the people smoke the
per capita consumption was equal to
lit cigars.
The consumption Of cigarettes also
presents interesting figures, and shows
that the percentage of increase is
greater in cigarettes than in cigars.
Tax was paid last year on 1910, ,961,-
$50 cigarettes, an increase OF 252,-
2l2,112 over the preceding year,
while the increase in cigars consumed
during the same period was Isl, $685.
655. The amount OF tax collected
last year on cigars was $1O,532, ,8O4,
and on cigarettes $655, 500. The
total amount collected during the
year on cigars and tobacco through
the intetnal-revenue department was
$27, 1907, 1868. In addition to this
amount there was collected through
the custom house for duties on impor-
ted tobacco and cigars $8,3ll, ia,
Adding these two items gives $36, ,218,-
476 as the aggregate of the tax paid
last year to the government for
cigars and tobacco, which is equal
to tax OF sixty cents per capita up
on the entire population. It is with
in bounds to estimate the value ofthe
tobacco and cigars consumed
at four times the amount OF the
tax paid. On this basis the people
Of the United States paid last year for
these articles $l81, ,O92, $50, or more
than So for every man, woman and
child in the country
The appraised value Of all the cot.
lee imported for the year ended June
80, 1886, was $42,675,6OO, and of
the tea SIS, ,77O,827. For tax alone
on our chewing and smoking there
was expended over $36, 100000 and
tor the articles themselves,
exclusive OF the tax $145, 900, 900.
These facts and figures would seem
to justify the claim that tobacco has
become to our people as great me-
cessity as tea and coffee.